'Sangken', a water festival celebrated in April in Arunachal Pradesh, is a festival of the:

Sangken is a Buddhist festival celebrated by the Theravada Buddhist communities of Arunachal Pradesh, mainly the Khamti, Singpho, Tikhak and Khamyang tribes, in the Namsai, Lohit and Changlang districts. It is celebrated in mid-April and marks the New Year according to their traditional calendar.

Sangken is a festival of water. The word "Sangken" comes from the Sanskrit "sankranti", meaning the passing of the sun into a new zodiac sign, and it is celebrated at the same time and in the same spirit as Songkran in Thailand, Thingyan in Myanmar and Pi Mai in Laos. During the festival, the images of the Buddha are taken from the monasteries and placed in specially built temporary structures, where devotees bathe them with clean, scented water. People then splash water on each other, as the water is believed to wash away the sins, impurities and bad luck of the past year and to bring purity, peace and prosperity in the new year. The festival lasts for three days.

During Sangken, people visit monasteries, offer food and alms to the monks, and listen to their teachings. They prepare special sweets and foods made of rice and share them with family and friends. People avoid killing animals, eating meat and drinking alcohol during the festival. Children and young people enjoy the water play, and the festival also includes traditional dances and cultural programmes. Sangken promotes peace, harmony and the values of compassion and kindness.

The Khamtis are known for their skill in crafts, and they have their own script derived from the Shan (Tai) script of Myanmar. Most of the other tribes of Arunachal Pradesh follow the Donyi-Polo faith or Christianity, while the Monpas and Sherdukpens follow Mahayana (Tibetan) Buddhism.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jains celebrate Paryushana and Mahavir Jayanti.
• ✗Sikhs celebrate Gurpurab and Baisakhi.
• ✗Parsis celebrate Navroz and Khordad Sal.